Nada Haffadh
Encyclopedia
Nada Haffadh was Bahrain
's first ever female cabinet minister when she was appointed Minister of Health in 2004, serving in the position until September 2007. Previously she served in Bahrain's upper house of parliament, the Consultative Council
.
in Egypt
and at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
before returning to Bahrain to practise, working for the Health Ministry both as a doctor and in administration. Haffadh took over the Ministry after the previous incumbent failed to force through government reforms opposed by doctors.
Haffadh was replaced in a cabinet reshuffle in September 2007 as the government sought to placate critics in the Islamist-dominated parliament and removed ministers who had clashed with MPs. Haffadh had originally tendered her resignation in April 2007 following the formation of a parliamentary commission to investigate the work of the Health Ministry. The commission (members of which included Mohammed Khalid
and Jassim Al Saeedi
) was given impetus after an audit of Bahrain’s health services by the Canadian Council for Health Accreditation found that some Ministry staff were avoiding basic safety instructions. However, Haffadh received the backing of the Bahrain Medical Society, which opposed the parliamentary investigation, and believed that it was politically motivated, with a BMS official saying: "The probe committee is not investigating the ministry's irregularities and shortcomings. Instead, it is targeting the minister. Her efforts to improve things are praiseworthy and any offence against her is unacceptable to us."
A member of Bahrain's Shia sect, she has been an active campaigner for women's rights with the Bahrain's Supreme Council for Women
.
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
's first ever female cabinet minister when she was appointed Minister of Health in 2004, serving in the position until September 2007. Previously she served in Bahrain's upper house of parliament, the Consultative Council
Consultative Council of Bahrain
The Consultative Council is the name given to the upper house of the National Assembly, the main legislative body of Bahrain....
.
Biography
Haffadh studied MedicineMedicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland , is a Dublin-based medical institution, situated on St. Stephen's Green. The college is one of the five Recognised Colleges of the National University of Ireland...
before returning to Bahrain to practise, working for the Health Ministry both as a doctor and in administration. Haffadh took over the Ministry after the previous incumbent failed to force through government reforms opposed by doctors.
Haffadh was replaced in a cabinet reshuffle in September 2007 as the government sought to placate critics in the Islamist-dominated parliament and removed ministers who had clashed with MPs. Haffadh had originally tendered her resignation in April 2007 following the formation of a parliamentary commission to investigate the work of the Health Ministry. The commission (members of which included Mohammed Khalid
Mohammed Khalid
One of Bahrain’s most outspoken Islamist MPs is Sheikh Mohammed Khalid, the Al-Menbar Islamic Society representative from the Northern Governorate...
and Jassim Al Saeedi
Jassim Al Saeedi
Jassim Al Saeedi is a Bahraini salafist MP, member of parliament representing a constituency in Riffa.After he was banned from standing in 2002's general election for the main Salafist party, Asalah, for being "too extreme", Al Saeedi stood and won the election as an independent...
) was given impetus after an audit of Bahrain’s health services by the Canadian Council for Health Accreditation found that some Ministry staff were avoiding basic safety instructions. However, Haffadh received the backing of the Bahrain Medical Society, which opposed the parliamentary investigation, and believed that it was politically motivated, with a BMS official saying: "The probe committee is not investigating the ministry's irregularities and shortcomings. Instead, it is targeting the minister. Her efforts to improve things are praiseworthy and any offence against her is unacceptable to us."
A member of Bahrain's Shia sect, she has been an active campaigner for women's rights with the Bahrain's Supreme Council for Women
Supreme Council for Women
The Supreme Council for Women is Bahrain’s advisory body to the government on women's issues. It is chaired by Sheikha Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the wife of Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa...
.